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Hey guys! I just signed up to take the test on October 7th. I speak Hindi/Urdu and am going for my M.A. in South Asian Studies. Unfortunately my American History/Government background isn't incredibly strong, but I'm going to study my butt off. Also, I watch C-Span and read news like a crazy person. One question about background checks. A couple years ago I dated a Palestinian dude for like a month. Is this the type of thing that could end up looking bad when they're deciding security clearance?
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Sep 16, 2009 18:15
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So I have a question about the Consular career track. I've already applied for that one, so I'm locked in, but I was talking to a military guy yesterday who said I would have a ton of opportunities to speak my target language in that position. For some reason I had been thinking that it would be the opposite. What would you guys with experience say? Would I actually be able to speak frequently in a language besides English as a consular worker? Because that would be fantastic.
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Sep 19, 2009 22:29
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Here's a question: Where can I brush up on immigration law? I'm guessing there's going to be some of that on the test if I'm applying for consular, right?
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Sep 30, 2009 23:02
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Well I'm taking mine tomorrow at 1 pm. Thanks for your post SWATJester, I feel a bit more mentally prepared after reading that. I'm still a little worried about my American history not being what it should, but I've done as much cramming as I can so hopefully things will go alright. Wish me luck!
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Oct 6, 2009 22:52
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Alright, I'm heading in pretty soon to take my test. But I just realized something that may not be so awesome. When I was filling out my application, I forgot to write in my high school jobs because I just really haven't even thought about them in years...but I looked back over and realized that they were in 10 years so I should have written them in. Are they going to think I'm hiding poo poo from them, is there any way for me to email in the information I left out? Am I totally dead?
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Oct 7, 2009 16:11
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I'm done! I'm not going to say that was incredibly easy. I'm definitely wishing I had more of an economic and international relations background. I'm pretty sure I aced all the management stuff and anything related to South Asia was totally in the bag. My essay could have been better, probably. Anyway, now the waiting!
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Oct 8, 2009 00:05
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Has anyone gotten their results from the test yet? It's exactly three weeks today and I'm getting really nervous. Do they only send a message if you've passed or will they send a "sorry you're terrible" message as well?
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Oct 28, 2009 17:28
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I passed!!! Now on to the personal narrative. I'm realizing now how little experience I have leading other people.
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Oct 28, 2009 19:05
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Is the biographical portion something that could really help someone? I was afraid I was going to fail because I probably bombed all the economics related questions and the essay was economics related too so I doubt I did great on that. However, I did pimp out all my foreign friends and language experience, so I don't know if that's what got me through or what. Oh and they also had some questions about India, so I really lucked out there, I think. edit: Good job, SWATjester!! Maybe I'll seeyah in the field! (well if we both get past everything else, that is.) CherryCola fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Oct 28, 2009 |
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Oct 28, 2009 22:01
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SWATJester posted:Sooo someone tell me about QEP and my personal narrative. I did talk to someone...I guess about these kinds of things in general, because I wasn't sure what I could really put down for leadership experience. I organized a film screening for my department last year, basically did the whole thing myself...but I guess somehow that still constitutes leadership, so I'm going to put that down. The questions don't seem that difficult though.
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Oct 30, 2009 15:57
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So has anyone done the language assessment? I'm going to need to do one in Hindi or Urdu (or both? they're so drat similar) I'm sort of wondering what kind of vocab I should be reviewing. I can hold my own decently well, but I'm just wondering how the interviews are usually laid out.
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Oct 31, 2009 03:40
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So I'm working through the PN right now. I have to say, this whole thing of needing someone to verify my experience is understandable yet really annoying. I've had a lot of really cool experiences in India, but most of the people who may have witnessed those experiences are people whose emails and phone numbers I definitely do not know. I feel like I'm really reaching to find cool cultural experiences that are impressive and also verifiable...
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Nov 2, 2009 22:45
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So if I tell the dudes that I'm actually interested in going to one of the "danger zones" right off the bat, (For example, I'm really down with working in Pakistan, which I guess is a place they need people) would that pretty much guarantee that I'd be going there as one of my first couple assignments?
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Nov 3, 2009 19:48
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I just submitted my Personal Narrative! So now I'm putting together a vocab list to cram before my proficiency test tomorrow. Are they going to be super pissed if I use a cellphone for that? I really just don't have access to a private landline!
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Nov 12, 2009 22:04
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Oh now that's just lovely.
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Nov 13, 2009 18:07
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Business of Ferrets posted:What language? And how do you think it went? Urdu and it's in an hour, I've been doing some last minute vocab cramming and I'm listening to an Urdu news broadcast to get myself in an Urdu-processing mindset. God I'm so nervous, and I have a cold so my nose is all stuffy.
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Nov 13, 2009 20:04
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Okay, well maybe I won't totally fail. I don't think I did super well. I'm kind of bad at hearing people over the phone anyway and this lady was on speakerphone so I had to ask her to repeat pretty much everything she said. One of the questions was whether I think Obama will be successful with the stuff he's doing in Asia. I somehow just had no idea what to say, I basically said that I hope he'll be successful, but it's a complex situation so I can't really guess myself. I think I did okay once we got into the more conversational stuff, but there were a couple I just blanked out on. Oh well, at least it won't negatively affect my application if I get a low score.
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Nov 13, 2009 21:28
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SWATJester posted:So I answered my 5 PNQs and I'm super nervous about turning it in. There's a "Next" on the bottom of the page....is there more than just the 5 questions? I was afraid of that too, but no it's just a "I promise I'm not lying" thing.
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Nov 14, 2009 17:40
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So, last week I was talking to my landlord/host mother from this summer in India and she told me that a couple Indian intelligence officers had stopped by to ask about me and one of my friends. Could this be because of my FSO application or should I be actually worried? For reference, I haven't done anything even close to questionable on Indian soil besides going to the Wagah border to watch the border closing ceremony. Do they start checking on people this early?
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Nov 23, 2009 17:51
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Holy poo poo! I passed the language test! I didn't get a number score because apparently the one I took was pass/fail. I'm sooo happy this is going to be on my application now.
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Nov 24, 2009 20:57
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Business of Ferrets posted:Nice! Which language? Urdu!
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Nov 25, 2009 00:30
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Winna posted:I feel like, if you went into the foreign service single, it would be very difficult meeting young singles as well with this lifestyle. Any truth to this observation? This is a big concern for me too. I'm 25, but I'd really like to, you know, get married before I'm 40 (before 30 would be preferable). Not really sure how that's going to happen if I'm in the foreign service. I still really REALLY want to be in the foreign service though. Oh life.
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Dec 4, 2009 20:36
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So apparently I'm supposed to find out if I get an interview by early January. I'm starting to get super nervous. If I don't get one, will they send me some sort of rejection message? How much will my Urdu proficiency actually help my chances, I wonder.
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Dec 9, 2009 19:51
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Happydayz posted:I think people with critical needs languages get an automatic pass to the oral exams. Really? Any sources on this? edit: Just looked at the FSOT site and I guess I get a .4 point bonus on my application since Urdu is SUPER CRITICAL NEEDS HOLY CRAP! And it looks like I'd probably be sent to Pakistan during one of my first two assignments. Helloooo danger pay. CherryCola fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Dec 10, 2009 |
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Dec 10, 2009 05:38
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Business of Ferrets posted:CherryCola, are you going the specialist route or the generalist (FSO) route? Or do you have several candidacies in play? I'm not sure that specialists get the language bump; does anyone know? I'm applying for a plain ol' consular track position.
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Dec 10, 2009 06:51
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xanthig posted:have you heard back on your PN results yet? Nah, like i said, i'm pretty sure they'll let me know in January. Oh just checked, yeah I'll receive my next email from the panel in late January. Dammit, I thought it was early January. I hate this waiting.
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Dec 10, 2009 19:45
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Happydayz posted:Well you are already cruising for a bruising. The foreign service should NEVER be your first choice, and you should not decide you want to do it after a long, deliberative thought out process. This is exactly the attitude I'm taking. I'm planning on moving to DC in the fall and I'm going to be applying for jobs as if the foreign service doesn't even exist. If I do get the job, then cool...if not, then I'm not totally screwed.
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Dec 10, 2009 23:48
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Business of Ferrets posted:CherryCola, is your Urdu good enough to talk yourself through a Pakistani checkpoint? That's kind of lovely! Maybe if I quote some Urdu poetry at them they'll trust me.
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Dec 17, 2009 12:54
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Is there a chart or something about where different countries rank on the foreign service scale of danger or comfort or whatever? I'm kind of curious about India as far as how a tour there would affect the choices for ones next tour and how the FSO community is overall. Any idea if this kind of information is out there?
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Dec 21, 2009 04:12
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Here is a really random question. I've been wanting to get my nose pierced (just a tasteful small diamond on one side) and my mom is convinced that no one will hire me, especially the state department, with such a horrible display of punkishness. Does anyone know what the policy is on things like piercings and tattoos in the foreign service?
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Dec 27, 2009 18:32
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Business of Ferrets posted:Most of the FSOs I know do a good job hiding their piercings and body art. Oh sure, if it would affect my chances negatively.
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Dec 28, 2009 16:31
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Vilerat posted:Visible tattoos or body piercings will affect your chances negatively in any professional environment unless you work for one of those rare places. well that's what I was wondering. Is a piercing like that still considered an extreme "body piercing." Maybe it's from all my time in South Asia, but I had been thinking that a small diamond on the side of the nose was not really that big of a deal anymore since pretty much every woman has one.. Anyway, this is kind of a weird tangent, but it's good to know what the expectations are. edit: I'm a giiiiiiirl by the way. CherryCola fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Dec 29, 2009 |
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Dec 29, 2009 05:00
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TCD posted:Thinking about it, I can't remember seeing any girls(or guys) who had a nose piercing. Alright then. Thanks for the info guys, I guess the nostril stabbing will have to wait!
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Dec 29, 2009 08:04
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Business of Ferrets posted:It would depend largely on timing and the needs of the Service. If the position is open immediately and you already had sufficient proficiency (most hard and super-hard language jobs require a speaking 2/reading 0-2 for entry-level officers) you would probably wind up at post fairly quickly. In the last few years some new officers with preexisting language skills went into up to a year of long-term training to improve their Chinese or Arabic. Not sure if other languages did this, too; these are the ones I've heard about. Yeah, this is really good to know. Even though I passed with Urdu proficiency, all the advanced Urdu courses at my University are pretty much poetry based...so I'm worried that my real-world colloquial speaking skills are suffering a bit. I'd hope they'd at least give me a month long refresher or something. Just waiting to find out about the orals now! Argh! I hate this part!
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Jan 11, 2010 21:44
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Still waiting for those QEP results! Argh! But here's a question for those who have been through the process before. If I do get through, will I be told what date I need to come in for the oral assessment or will I have an option? My two best friends are coming down (from D.C. actually! how about that?) during SXSW in March and I've told them to wait on buying tickets until I know more. Any idea about what dates these things are usually scheduled? edit: oh hey, someone from the State Department said this in a facebook group. "QEP results should be delivered around the first part of February. At that time you will receive information on scheduling the oral assessment." Oh god, I don't want to wait that loooong!! CherryCola fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Jan 16, 2010 |
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Jan 16, 2010 00:37
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Xandu posted:Depending on what you mean by questionable past, the CIA has one of the more liberal policies on past drug use. Otherwise, TS/SCI is the same throughout the government. Yeah, I was actually looking into CIA too and their drug question was something like "Have you generally not used Marijuana in the past 12 months?" Whereas the health questionnaire for the foreign service has the question "Have you used Marijuana....or Heroin?" That's a pretty general question right there.
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Jan 21, 2010 06:14
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Welp. Got rejected by the QEP. Back to ye ol' drawing board.
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Jan 27, 2010 18:19
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Pompous Rhombus posted:That sucks, I thought you'd be a shoe-in with Urdu. Oh yeah? If you know of any please let me know! I'm open to just about anything at this point, and would love to be able to use my language skillzzzz edit: congratulations! Can I live vicariously through you? CherryCola fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Jan 27, 2010 |
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Jan 27, 2010 18:50
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Yeah that's the thing. I mean all those jobs on that website are for instructors. Now, I can hold a decent conversation and translate loads of crap, but I'm definitely not fluent enough to train others in any substantial capacity. Anyway, I'm going to look around at some non profits I think. Would definitely like to work with new immigrants or something like that. Well, best of luck to all you who passed!
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Jan 29, 2010 07:46
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Good luck you guys! I just heard back about the other "government job" I applied to, so I'll be taking yet another proficiency test in the near future. Written this time, thank god.
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Feb 22, 2010 20:24
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